


There Is A Light

by mrsmischief



Category: Wallander (UK TV)
Genre: Crimes & Criminals, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff, Murder, Police, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-19
Updated: 2013-06-30
Packaged: 2017-12-15 12:26:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/849554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrsmischief/pseuds/mrsmischief
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Magnus/OC. Crimes, sex, romance? She likes him, but will he ever like her? We shall see... If the light doesn't go out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

She was new. She had that glow in her eyes still, the eagerness and enthusiasm of one whose innocence hadn't yet been corrupted by the gory details she would soon enough witness. Her hands were almost shaking, but she didn't look like she was afraid... Could this even be her first case ever?

"A man, around forty, found at the corner of Österleden and Tingsgatan," he said to Wallander and the new lab girl as Björn, the older pathologist, walked into the room. The man was, as his name would suggest, like a bear, with his brown hair, stout body and calm nature.   
"Looks like the usual, a fight after a night at the bar... A fight that got a bit too far, that is," he said after examining the body lying on the table between them. The man, who only a few hours ago had still lived, had bruises on his face, broken nose and dried blood splattered on his cheek.

"If only he didn't have these, too," Magnus said as he pulled down the sheet covering the man's body, putting the stab wounds on his stomach on display, too. And the nicely carved word on his chest.  _Hämnden_. Revenge.  
"Shit," Björn hissed, pulling his glasses on. "And you've got no suspects, no witnesses, nothing?" he muttered as he pulled on the plastic gloves. Sighing, Magnus shook his head.   
"Not yet."

As Björn began to examine the body, Magnus's eyes turned back to the girl, who could barely contain her excitement, even in the early hours of morning. She was fidgeting, and her fingers played with the pen she was holding. Magnus couldn't help but smile. Something about her was just adorable, perhaps it was her round cheeks or that golden brown lock of her that had fallen from her ponytail and now framed her face. Or maybe it was those eyes, their bluish green that shone with the enthusiasm he had long since forgotten. She was just...  _fresh_.

*

"What's your name?" he asked her when they left the morgue, him and Wallander back to the office and she for her coffee break.   
"Johanna," she replied, and even though her voice was not hesitant or too quiet (already such a professional) and her smile was wide, she couldn't hide the slight blush colouring her cheeks.   
"Nice to meet you, Johanna," he said, returning her smile. "I'm Magnus. First day?"  
"Yes."  
"Well, good luck! Björn is a good guy, he'll be great to work with," he said before making a turn to the corridor on their left that would leave him out of the building.  
"I guess we'll meet again, Johanna," he said, his smile a bit warmer and more genuine now. Only because he wanted to be polite, of course.   
"I hope so," she replied, brushing that strand of hair behind her ear before he waved an awkward goodbye and the two of them parted ways. 

*

Walking to the small canteen, Johanna could feel the butterflies flying and dancing in her stomach. She already felt like home at the Ystad hospital, and the handsome detective she had just met didn't make it any worse... She just hoped she hadn't been to obvious. She simply couldn't help it, she had already been one to find a new crush everywhere, be it a summer camp or school... Or a new job. And it wasn't like it could hurt anyone, right?


	2. There Is A Light - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 1, finally! I don’t want to spoil it, but let’s just say Magnus and Johanna meet again. And things might happen. Unexpected things, too… There will be another part, too, and an epilogue after this chapter. Hope you all like it!

She saw him again the following week. Magnus. Or Detective Martinsson. She preferred that, it had just the right amount of authority and silliness in it; what detective had ever looked so cute with his fluffy curls and gorgeous, big blue eyes? Oh, she had fallen hard... But she didn't care. Every time she saw him  she tried her best to act normal, usually failing miserably, but revelled in the fact it was a part of her _job_ to see him. Not bad, not bad...

That's how the weeks, and then months, slipped by, with work and the small delights of seeing him every now and then. They talked sometimes, and sometimes it was even something one could count as _flirting_ , but purposefully trying to be funny or sexy had never suited her, and she was sure she seemed more awkward than anything else. But as long as she got to even talk to and see him, she didn't really care.

*

He was amused by her blushing, by her stuttering words and nervous movements around him. She wasn't the first, and he assumed she wouldn't be the last. But what could you do, he was the only younger detective around, and he made an effort to be nice to people... Most of the time. Well, the women at least. Even if those hopeful glances and shyness started to annoy him little by little - for god's sake, why didn't she say anything? - he still tried to be... nice.

But, being nice was always easier when you weren't overtired and stressed and didn't even remember when you had last slept a full night. The murder inspection was going surprisingly well, even though they had found another body, too - a woman with the same word, _hämnden_ , written on her body, too. With her own blood. It was disgusting, but with that they had been able to gather more evidence and found potential witnesses, too.

So far it seemed to be just a regular punishment in the drug-dealer circles, even though neither of the victims really fit the type of a user or a seller. But, as long as it would be over soon... And he would get his sleep.

*

And then there was the party. It was the birthday of one of the detectives, she couldn't remember whose, and it didn't matter, anyway. It started at the office, more _official_ , men wearing suit jackets and women wobbling around in their high heels. Cake stains at the corners of their mouths, the taste of a bit too sweet champagne in their mouths, and then everyone was ready to continue at the bar.

It wasn't too crowded on that Thursday night, which was both good and bad; the Ystad police department almost had the place to themselves. Naturally, rounds of drinks were being offered around, and that resulted in someone's wonderful idea of karaoke. Yes, why not? Yes! After witnessing a couple of _fascinating_ performances, something in Johanna's brain clicked, and she climbed on the small stage.

She hadn't been drinking much yet but perhaps she should have, she thought as she looked at the people in her audience. The small crowd was smiling and talking, but as soon as the spotlight was on her, they fixed their focus to the small figure of a young woman on the stage.   
"I'm new, so no bullying," she said into the microphone, making the people laugh and herself a bit more relaxed as the beat of her song began to play. For a split second she regretted her choice, but then she met Magnus's eyes, and decided to give it her best shot.

_like a virgin_   
_touched for the very first time..._

And she danced, she slid her hands on her body, she gave all of herself to it. She hadn't felt so liberated for a while, just having fun there, everyone's eyes on her, singing and moving and forgetting everything.

_Perhaps she isn't as shy as she seemed_ , Magnus thought as he watched her slither and writhe, move about and pretty much seduce all of her audience one by one. And then, too soon, it was over. She smiled and bowed, and after she had climbed down from the stage, he made his way to her.

"Quite a performance," he said, grinning.   
"Thanks," she replied with a shy smile, clearly back to her usual self again, making him wonder if she was one of those people with almost two opposite personalities: the performer and the private, quiet side. But then, drink in hand again, she turned to him, and the glint in her eyes told him no, she was not. She simply took her time...

"Can I buy you a drink?" he asked when her glass was empty and they were watching yet another one of his colleagues embarrass himself with a late 70s hit song. She shook her head.   
"Can you take me home?"  
"Only if it's my home."

And there they ended up, a tangle of limbs and lips in the taxi already, and when they entered his small apartment it didn't get any different. The only words uttered were "Do you have condoms?" and "Yes", and that was enough. He led her into his bedroom, undressing both of them on the way there, filled with the simple feelings of intoxication and lust, nothing else. Or so he liked to believe, at least.

His thrusts were impatient and slightly sloppy, and after a while she pushed him down on the bed, straddling him and giving him a proper, more concentrated ride. He was perhaps a bit too drunk to show her his full potential, but she didn't care; all she needed was those lips sucking her neck and her hands in those curls, hips moving against each other and the sweet feeling of release, before they both collapsed on his bed, panting and heads feeling dizzy.

They lay there in silence for a long while, until she felt his finger caress her arm.   
"What are you thinking?" he whispered, kissing her shoulder.  
"Nothing much, just how ha-- bad hangover I'll have in the morning," she replied, turning to lie on her side, watching him.   
"Hopefully not too much. Drink some water to make it better?"  
"Yes, that's a good idea," she replied, shifting to sit up and go and find his kitchen. Before she managed to even get up, though, he grabbed her wrist, a smirk forming on his lips.   
"Not yet..." he murmured, pulling her closer and kissing her again, and all she could do was melt into him again, and again, and again...

*

When he had finally had enough (not that she didn't like it, of course; quite the opposite), they curled into each other, sharing a few kisses and whispered words before she heard his light snoring in the darkness. She watched his silhouette for a while, and what she could see still was the most beautiful thing to her: the light curls, the perfect nose, the lean body... But she couldn't stay. She knew the morning would be awkward, and she wanted to save them both from the humiliation. It was better to go. It was better.

As quietly as she could, she slipped out from beneath his arm, hoping not to wake him, and began to fumble around to find her clothes. She found them all fairly easily, and got dressed in the dark hallway before walking back to cast a final glance at him. His dog, a kind-looking English Shepherd, who had previously been kicked out from the bed because he had another someone to cuddle that night (or so he had thought), had now found her place next to her owner again, and was sleeping just as soundly as he was.

Johanna smiled at the sight, his light curls mixing with the dogs dark fur as he had now placed his hand on her side just as it had previously rested on Johanna's ribcage.   
"Goodnight, Magnus," she whispered and tiptoed out of the house, closing the door as silently as she could. 


	3. There Is A Light - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 2... Some unexpected things. Please don't kill me.

Finally, by late June, the Revenge case was almost solved. Johanna didn't know the details, it wasn't her job anyway, but she knew they were getting close. The murdered man, and the woman they had found later, had both been identified, and somehow someone had managed to dig up information about their connections to some more dangerous people. She had heard names as she had walked past the detectives discussing in low voices at the morgue, but she didn't remember them anymore. Again, not her job.

Her  _actual_  job, however, she enjoyed thoroughly. Sounds strange, right, a young woman in her early twenties loving her job at the morgue? Well, she did. It wasn't the macabre art of inspecting the dead bodies or the smell of death she loved, it was the detective work she got to do, too, and, most of all, the peacefulness. The dead were never in a rush.

It was a wonderful contrast to her own life, too, and the mess she had made of it. After that one time at the party, and the night that had followed, she was sure Magnus thought she was in love with him. Why else would she have slept with him and behaved the way she did?

Alright, fair enough, that assumption wouldn't have been far from right, since she definitely had stronger feelings for him than she even dared to admit, but... She had no idea how he felt, or if he felt anything at all, and true to her history of cowardice and running away rather than finding out, she hadn't talked to him since. Or seen him, either; he hadn't been to the morgue, and why would she go anywhere near his office? Avoiding him was easier than she could ever have dreamed.

*

What a strange day it was. So far, Magnus had had the luxury or sipping his coffee by his desk without getting any complaints from Kurt. Or anything else, either; Magnus hadn't seen the man all day yet. Not that he really needed to. He had more than enough to do even if his boss never showed up to give him even more shit to find out or go through. Sometimes he felt more like an assistant or a secretary instead of a detective...

After two more cups of coffee and a few hours of boring, monotonous and pretty much pointless searching through the computer data of both the victims, Magnus leaned back on his chair and ran his hands through his blond curls, sighing. The clock was slowly but surely coming to the end of his shift, but he found himself unwilling to leave. It didn't take him long to figure out why.  _Johanna_ _._

It had been almost two weeks since he had seen her, two weeks since that one night, and he was growing restless. It wasn't because he wanted to break into a serenade under her balcony and confess his undying love (or if it was he would never admit it, not even to himself), but he simply couldn't stand the silence. Why had she left? He knew she liked him, it was obvious to pretty much everyone. Had she regretted it? Had there been some kind of an emergency? Had he been too drunk for her to enjoy it? Or was he just that bad and unskilled nowadays? Dear god, no.

And he didn't even have her bloody phone number...

*

Avoiding someone was, of course, a lot easier when they didn't show up in front of your workplace when your shift was over. Seeing Magnus's car in front of the Ystad hospital's main entrance, Johanna sighed. She walked through the glass doors, cursing the sudden change in weather - it had been sunny in the morning but now it was pouring with rain, and of course she didn't have her umbrella with her.

She saw him roll open the passenger side window, and heard him call out her name. She walked closer, wrapping her coat tighter around her body. As if it would shield her from the rain. Or perhaps it was from the embarrassment she would now inevitably face...

"Need a lift?" he asked, face almost breaking into a smile, but not quite. He managed to keep that under control, at least. Not the best way of charming a lady, laughing at her face, right? Unable to come up with a plausible excuse ("I'd rather get soaked" still wasn't quite good enough), Johanna nodded. Magnus reached to open the passenger door for her, now letting the smile brighten his often so grim-looking face.

Johanna sat down and fastened the seat belt, suddenly unwilling to look at him. Well, as long as he was looking at her, at least. When he began to drive again, she let her eyes find him again, looking at him first from the corner of her eye, then slowly turning more towards him. Not staring, just... observing.

"So... How have you been?" Magnus asked after a few minutes of silence. Ystad was quiet as usual, but she knew he could have been driving faster if he just wanted. But no, he deliberately drove slowly.   
"Good, just good," she replied nonchalantly, shrugging. "You?"  
"I've been alright..." his voice was quiet, a bit dreamy as he slowed down at the intersection, looking both ways before turning to the left.

More silence followed. Then, when they were nearing the part of town she lived in (how did he even know where she lived?), Magnus spoke again.   
"Do you... Have you thought about that night?"  
Johanna sat up straighter in surprise. She hadn't thought she'd need to discuss this with him, not now. Not unless she brought it up.   
"Every day," she blurted before she could stop herself. Magnus stayed silent, but she could hear his sharper intake of breath and see his brows rise just slightly, and she knew he wanted to know more. Considering her options for a while, she decided she could, for this once, not run but confront her fears and see what would come out of it.   
"Magnus, I... I think I'm in love with you."

This time his inhale was obvious, and loud in the silence, and he even turned to look at her for a fraction of a second, his lips parted and expression serious. Whether it was serious because her confession was what he had wanted to hear, or because it was his worst nightmare after fucking a girl once, she didn't know.

He opened his mouth to say something, to relieve her anxiousness of  _not knowing_ , but the loud ringing of his phone interrupted him before even the first syllable had left his mouth.  _Damn_ , he thought, pulling the phone out of the pocket of his coat and pressing the button to answer the call. Work.

"Martinsson."  
The voice in his ear spoke fast, but it wasn't loud enough for Johanna to hear. She saw him cast a sideways glance at her as he listened, and then finally spoke.   
"I'll go right now. I'm about ten minutes away from there now. Thanks, Anne."

Once the phone was back in his pocket, he looked into the rearview mirror and made a perfect U-turn, never slowing down.   
"They've got the main suspect at the first victim's house," he said, jaw tight and brow furrowed with worry. "He's armed, and he's got the man's family as his hostages. Where can I drop you off?"  
"You don't have to, I can come with you."  
"Absolutely  _not_."  
"You might need a doctor, and you have one right here. I hope you won't need me, but just in case it gets bad."  
"I... Fine, but make sure you don't get yourself killed, ok?"  
"Always."

With that, Magnus pressed the gas again, letting the car speed well past the speed limit on the narrow road. After just a few minutes they were back on the Malmovägen, and his foot pressed more heavily on the pedal. He could feel the adrenalin coursing in his veins, the anxiety, anger and pure terror mixing into the emotion that had now began to feel more and more familiar to him. The feeling of being a detective, or so he had thought. Now he knew better. It was his body preparing to the inevitable, the fight or flight instinct kicking in. Nothing heroic about that. Especially when he had her with him...  _Johanna_ _._

He frowned, the two sides of him battling inside him. He knew it was risky, it always was, but she... She had to know. She  _deserved_ to know. He cleared his throat, setting the windscreen wipers to work faster as the water pouring from the sky began to blur his vision of the road.

"Johanna, I need to... I need to say something as well," he began hesitantly. From the corner of his eye he could see her body stiffening, her face becoming emotionless, already preparing for the worst. Oh Johanna, Johanna... He turned to look at her more, licking his lips, feeling another wave of nervousness in the pit of his stomach. This time it was different, though, this was  _personal_.  
"I think I--"

The sentence never finished. His tongue had already pressed against the alveolar ridge in his mouth, the  _l_  sound forming, but the sudden turn of the car left him speechless. There was something on the road, perhaps just excessive amount of water, perhaps oil mixed with it, that made the car spin, completely out of his control no matter how hard he tried.

He could hear her terrified shriek, and as he turned to look the same way as her, he knew why: a truck was coming their way, and there was nothing anyone could do. His car spun on the wrong side of the road, the truck came closer at full speed, unable to slow down on the slippery road, and then... Darkness. He felt nothing, saw nothing, heard nothing. All there was was darkness.

_to die by your side_   
_is such a heavenly way to die_


	4. There Is A Light - Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I think this speaks for itself.

The funeral was small, but beautiful. Only family, friends and co-workers in the small church. Intimate. So much like her, so private but fragile, and lovely.

He still had the cast on his leg, and the scars would stay with him forever. Some were on his face, some elsewhere on his body. He didn't remember the crash, and he was thankful for that. All he remembered was talking to her, almost saying it... And then. Darkness. That was all.

The next thing he knew was the hospital, where he had woken up. The lights had felt too bright, the hushed voices of the nurses and doctors too loud. And one thing had ached his heart more than anything. Before they told him, before he even asked, he had known already: she was gone. There was an empty hollowness in his heart, and he just  _knew_.

He had wanted to cry, but he hadn't been able to. All he could do was nod when the doctor explained him what had happened, how his car had been on the wrong side and how the truck had come, too fast, and hit her side of the car. When the ambulance had got there, there hadn't been anything they could have done anymore. He nodded again, and when the doctor left him he simply stared at his own hands, the hands that had touched her, held her... But wouldn't anymore. Never again.

When he had got home he had cried like a lost child.

But now... Now he couldn't find the tears anymore. Perhaps he had cried all of them then. All he could do was stare ahead through all of it, and think of her. Her eyes, her smile, her everything. All the things they could have had... If at least one of them had had more courage sooner. Too late, too late...

After the service he walked towards the front of the church, to the coffin, his fingers squeezing the blue flower more tightly than was necessary. He could feel Kurt's eyes on him, but today they weren't the eyes of an annoyed boss, they were the eyes of a man worried for his colleague. Magnus didn't turn, didn't pay any attention to him, though. Today was for Johanna. For her only. Like every day since they met should have been.

He placed the flower on top of the coffin, swallowing hard and taking a deep breath. He had to do it. This one time, he had to do it. For her. Even if it was too late, he had to. Battling the strangling, burning feeling in his throat, he closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, preparing before opening his eyes again and looking down at the coffin.

_"I love you, Johanna,"_  he whispered. 


End file.
